Viva New York is a section on Latino life in New York that runs once a month in the Daily News. I started contributing to VNY when it was a Sunday magazine and then stayed on after its conversion into a section in the newspaper. Between 2005 and 2008, I published stories about Latino culture and politics and immigrant life in New York.

› Every-Night Fever at the Milonga: For this story on tango dancers in New York, I stayed out late to discover the world of the milongas –tango social gatherings– taking place every night of the week at different spots in Manhattan and elsewhere. [ Read story ]

› Dominican Revolutionaries in New York: The story of Dominicans who rebelled against a military-supported regime and, after being defeated with U.S. help, ended up growing old in New York. [ Read story ]

› Leaving Wall Street: Inspired by an anti-globalization documentary, Brendan Martin left the financial industry in New York to go work in Buenos Aires helping cooperatives get credit. I interviewed him in both cities. [ Read story ]

› Ropa Vieja, New Owners: The Cuban population in New York has shrunk over the last few decades, but the number of Cuban restaurants keeps growing. I visited them to find out who is really behind the counter now. [ Read story ]

› Going to the Mat: My first contribution to VNY was a cover story on New York’s Latino politicians facing off before 2005′s historic mayoral election, with some of them supporting the Hispanic Democratic candidate Fernando Ferrer and others siding with the eventual winner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg. [ Read story ]

› Remembering “Happy Land”: Almost two decades after a fire at a clandestine disco that decimated their community, the little-known Central American community of the Garífunas remember the tragedy. I spoke to one of the two sole survivors. [ Read Story ]

› Juanes: An exclusive interview with Colombian pop artist Juanes. “This has been a time of experimentation, of seeking an identity,” says the 12-time Grammy Award winner. “And this album is a lot closer to what I’ve always wanted to do.” [ Read story ]

› Opera Without the Soap: Peruvian Juan Diego Flórez is considered one of the biggest names in a new generation of tenors. The passion from Latinos who support him everywhere, he says, makes him feel “like you’re playing for the (Peruvian) soccer team.” [ Read story ]

› El Pulpo, Tango in Your Face: New York has its very own cantor de tango, Héctor Pablo Pereyra, whose friends nicknamed El Pulpo (The Octopus.) [ Read story ]